Seat cushion pumping device for vehicle

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a seat cushion pumping device for a vehicle adapted to adjust a height of a seat cushion. The seat cushion pumping device comprises a clutch unit adapted to transmit a rotating force to gears of a conventional link member for adjusting the height of a seat cushion in a desired direction where the seat cushion is to be moved, and a brake unit for fixing the operated link member so as not to move. The clutch unit and the brake unit are accommodated between a lower bracket and an upper bracket, which are positioned in front of a mounting bracket for accommodating the entire pumping device there between.

1. A seat cushion adjusting device for a vehicle, for engaging with a link means adapted to adjust a height of a seat cushion upon a user's operation of an adjusting lever, comprising:
 a clutch unit adapted to transmit a rotating force to the link means in a desired direction where the seat cushion is to be moved; and 
 a brake unit for fixing the operated link means so as not to move, 
 wherein the clutch unit and the brake unit are accommodated between a lower bracket and an upper bracket, 
 wherein the clutch unit is arranged between the upper bracket and one surface of a base, which is interposed between the lower bracket and the upper bracket, and the brake unit is arranged between the lower bracket and the other surface of the base, 
 wherein the clutch unit includes: 
 a roller assembly accommodated in a clutch recess defined on the one surface of the base, the roller assembly including an annular retainer ring with a plurality of rollers received in roller-receiving cavities formed at regular intervals in the annular retainer ring; 
 a lever block rotatably received in the annular retainer ring of the roller assembly; and 
 a lever bracket coupled to the lever block to operate it, 
 wherein the brake unit includes: 
 a link connection gear coupled with a shaft and extending through shaft holes of the lower bracket for engaging with the link means; 
 an operating plate accommodated in a brake guide, which is coupled into a receiving recess of the lower bracket; 
 power transmission grooves formed on an outer circumferential surface of the operating plate and adapted to receive power from power transmission pins formed on the other surface of the base; 
 flattened portions each formed between the power transmission grooves on the outer circumferential surface of the operating plate; 
 plural pairs of brake pins accommodated between the flattened portions and the brake guide, and adapted to transmit only in an operating direction power of the base and prevent transmission thereof in a reverse direction; and 
 elastic members, each being interposed between two adjacent brake pins of the plural pairs of brake pins, and adapted to continuously push the brake pins in a circumferential direction of the flattened portions for fixedly maintaining the brake pins between an inner circumferential surface of the brake guide and the flattened portions, and 
 wherein pin pushers integrally protrude from both sides of the respective power transmission pins, which are integrally formed on the other surface of the base, the pin pushers being positioned adjacent to the brake pins, and 
 wherein the lever bracket has a spring hook protruding toward the base, the spring hook, along with a spring hook of the lower bracket, being caught by a return spring adapted to return the adjusting lever in an original position. 
 
   
   
     2. The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the lever block further has a plurality of operating surfaces arranged at regular intervals along the outer circumferential surface thereof,
 wherein the operating surfaces are centrally formed with roller slits, respectively, for positioning the plurality of rollers of the roller assembly thereon, and 
 wherein the operating surfaces are further formed at both sides of the respective roller slits with curvedly inclined operating surfaces, which are raised relative to the roller slits, and are adapted to cause the rollers to come into frictional contact with a drum of the base, thereby allowing the base to rotate by using an operating force of the adjusting lever. 
 
   
   
     3. The device as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the roller assembly has a boss, around which a clutch spring is coupled, and
 wherein the clutch spring is caught at both ends thereof by one of spring pins, which protrudes downward from an upper side of an inner diameter surface of the upper bracket, thereby allowing the roller assembly to be returned in a neutral position. 
 
   
   
     4. The device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein around an outer circumferential surface of the base is provided a push nut for preventing generation of a return loss of the lever due to gaps between the power transmission pins and the power transmission grooves of the operating plate,
 wherein the push nut includes: 
 a push nut body made as an elastic thin sheet member; and 
 base plate pieces formed at an inner diameter surface of the push nut body and having an “L”-shape for ensuring tight contact thereof to the outer circumferential surface of the base, and 
 wherein the push nut body is compressed at an outer diameter surface thereof by flanges protruding from the lower bracket.